Any low back surgery success stories???

[Dechristo]

just tryin' to deal with the spina bifida and spondylosis

 

 

 

 

in the lower back

[layton]

I wouldn't be hooking anything electrical to my back when the spinal cord is more exposed!

 

As for the spondy, is it stable? That is, is there slippage during a flexion/extension or compression/distraction x-ray? If not, then I don't think either are the direct cause of back pain. Same goes with spondy's as with herniations, lots of folks w/o pain, if xrayed, would show a spondy...some so bad the whole of L5 slipped off past the sacrum (spondyloptosis).

 

Lumbar core stabilization exercises would be your best bet to help with the instability.

[archenemy]

I think the fellow who mentioned that it is important to choose a good surgeon is spot on. I know a fellow who had a very minor version of the same surgery I had who can barely walk following his surgery.

 

In my case the disk had ruptured, became infected and the adjoining vertebrae also became infected. The surgeon said the L5 and S1 vertebrae were the consistency of cottage cheese when he operated on me. He had to remove half each of the two vertebrae, bridge the gap with a piece of femur from a cadaver and screw it together with two steel plates and 8 large screws. Today I run ultra marathons, climb, ski, swim, and bike. The surgery has not held me back at all.

 

If you decide on surgery, or just want a really good second opinion, I would highly recommend Dr. Reginald Knight at Orthopedics International in Kirkland. He is certainly one of the best spine surgeon in the PNW.

 

Good luck!

Hey, that's my Ortho!! I love him--great doc!

[Dechristo]

 

Lumbar core stabilization exercises would be your best bet to help with the instability.

 

Thanks, I'll give it a go

[layton]

Make sure you get a GOOD, certified personal trainer, PT, or chiropractor not some 24 hour fitness employee.

 

If nothing else, a good pilates video is a start. Just don't overdo it.

[Kat_Roslyn]

Man, Olympic Physical Therapy has awesome PTs, you can look on the website and see specialties. They are great there, and everyone is super nice.

[hubris]

I had a Discectomy/laminectomy 8 months ago to repair a herniated L5. I had crippling sciatica for about a year and full time physio/chiro/accu.

 

I am at full activities now, and the muscle stiffness and pain is getting better daily. This was a last resort for me, and so far it has been life saving.

 

Good luck. Back problems suck ass!

[layton]

I've never really taken much stock in heavily advirtised techniques or gizmos, but the DRX9000 spinal decompression system is getting REALLY good results with disc patients. If I were you, I'd seriously consider it. Just accept the marketing B.S. as part of the price I guess.

 

I took a ride on it today and was like, "shit, sign me up"...and I don't like signing up for much.

[kweb]

Thanks everyone for all of your comments. The Doctor's (Neuro and Ortho) that I saw to satisfy my insurance co. both said surgery was needed. I'm trying to get in with Dr. Knight so I can be sure I've got the right doctor doing the job.

 

Layton, I've considered the DRX9000 but from what I understand it wont do anything for stenosis. The only way to open up that window is to remove some bone......right?

 

 

[layton]

you've got stenosis? Sorry, didn't catch that part.

 

A lot of stenosis patients benifit from increasing their lumbar range of motion, and decreasig inflammation. Sometimes there's just enough room to not cause symptoms if the spine is moving correctly (if one segment isn't moving like it should, it's like a kink in a straw) and inflammed tissues take up more space (there a lots of tissues surrounding the spinal cord).

 

But if that doesn't work...well I guess surgery is the only option. Sounds like a pretty complicated/involved surgery. Good luck!

[sk]

Low back surgery success stories??

 

I’ve got a herniated L4 and L5 with spinal stenosis. My surgeon is planning on doing a L4 S4 decompression and laminectomy (sp?). Has anyone had this done and how was it. He knows I’m very active and that I want to get back to my activities post surgery. He assures me that I will be able to in time but in still worried about it.

I’ve had back pain for 7 years now with sciatica for the last year. In those 7 years I’ve had to take a good amount of time off from work (delivery driver). I’ve tried PT, chiropractic care (with traction), acupuncture, massage, electrical stimulation, oral steroid packs, hydro therapy and most recently 2 Cortisone injections. Some of those things have helped manage the pain but none have cured it.

With my latest injury (bent down to grab an envelope......”POP”!) I’ve been off work since January. I’ve lost 11 pounds all in which I’m guessing is muscle since I was lifting 3 days a week and doing cardio 2 days a week while working a physically active job. I was 161lbs and 9% body fat pre injury....down to 150 now.

Anyway, I’d like to hear some success stories for this type or similar low back surgery. Im kinda bummed about getting the procedure done but as you can see, I’ve exhausted all my options.

 

i started dating my boyfriend in jan of 2006. just a few months before (in november) he had been working out hard and doing one aremed pushups and heard a loud crack and felt imense pain and he could not feel his left leg. he literaly broke his back. a small bone at L4-L5 broke and the top bone slid agains his spinal chord. He tried PT and it kinda worked but he was getting progressivly worse. he finaly decided to have back surgery this november. they put in 4 screws and a bone graft. he is almost totaly pain free now. the only pain he has it seems is mucle pain as things grow and get put back together. it has been amazing to watch. he is happier and more active than i have ever known him to be. the surgery was really hard, but he says all the time that it was worth it and he wishes he would have done it sooner.

[pigchampion]

I heard that same thing happpened to rocky balboa.

[sk]

I heard that same thing happpened to rocky balboa.

 

do you have a point? i don't know jack shit about the rocky movies and i have no idea if you are joking or not, but i really did just go through this situation with the man i am in love with. it was terrifying to watch him be in that much pain. I have done alot of things in my life, but i have only almost fainted THREE times. when they cut the cast off my still broken arm when i was 10, seeing my daddy in ICU after having a heart vaulve replaced, and seeing my boyfriend come out of this back surgery. it was hard. but when i went to the hospital on the day he started walking again and he could stand up straight for the first time in six months it was totaly blissful.

 

Now i know i am the queen of spray. and i do bull shit in spray very often. But i almost never spray on other serious threds in other forums. if you want to piss me off or play verbal tag with me, i can do that. But lets keep that in the appropriate forum

[pigchampion]

 

 

Now i know i am the queen of spray.

 

now i know that your the queen of spray.

[sk]

 

Now i know i am the queen of spray.

 

now i know that your the queen of spray.

 

I will not adress your comments in the forum. if you would like to PM me or if you have the balls to say something smart ass in spray i will be more than happy to deal with you accordingly.

[billcoe]

i started dating my boyfriend in jan of 2006. just a few months before (in november) he had been working out hard and doing one aremed pushups and heard a loud crack and felt imense pain and he could not feel his left leg. he literaly broke his back. a small bone at L4-L5 broke and the top bone slid agains his spinal chord. He tried PT and it kinda worked but he was getting progressivly worse. he finaly decided to have back surgery this november. they put in 4 screws and a bone graft. he is almost totaly pain free now. the only pain he has it seems is mucle pain as things grow and get put back together. it has been amazing to watch. he is happier and more active than i have ever known him to be. the surgery was really hard, but he says all the time that it was worth it and he wishes he would have done it sooner.

 

Muffy lighten up some, he's not dissing you or your boyfriend. Rocky was doing shitloads of 1 armed pushups. Pretty amazing. But that was just pretend, a movie. Your boyfriend must be pretty damn strong. I bet it shocked him too, to have something like that happen, it's so wildly out there its shocking: glad he's recovering.

 

Hopefully you have him back doing pushups again already. 8D

 

Edited to add: there is NOTHING that sucks worse than bad back pain IMO, I'm including falling 80 feet and bouncing off of ledges on the way too.

[sk]

i started dating my boyfriend in jan of 2006. just a few months before (in november) he had been working out hard and doing one aremed pushups and heard a loud crack and felt imense pain and he could not feel his left leg. he literaly broke his back. a small bone at L4-L5 broke and the top bone slid agains his spinal chord. He tried PT and it kinda worked but he was getting progressivly worse. he finaly decided to have back surgery this november. they put in 4 screws and a bone graft. he is almost totaly pain free now. the only pain he has it seems is mucle pain as things grow and get put back together. it has been amazing to watch. he is happier and more active than i have ever known him to be. the surgery was really hard, but he says all the time that it was worth it and he wishes he would have done it sooner.

 

Muffy lighten up some, he's not dissing you or your boyfriend. Rocky was doing shitloads of 1 armed pushups. Pretty amazing. But that was just pretend, a movie. Your boyfriend must be pretty damn strong. I bet it shocked him too, to have something like that happen, it's so wildly out there its shocking: glad he's recovering.

 

Hopefully you have him back doing pushups again already. 8D

 

Edited to add: there is NOTHING that sucks worse than bad back pain IMO, I'm including falling 80 feet and bouncing off of ledges on the way too.

 

He is strong but he will never body build again. the injury or condition if you will (spondylolisthesis) is actualy common to body builders and gymnists because of the way they load the lower back. it can also be present at birth or develp in childhood or in the elderly due to wear and tear.

[crackers]

Low back surgery success stories??

 

Kelly Cordes' Back Story.

 

I'll try to find you the scan of his back. It was sick.

[high_on_rock]

I had lower back problems for nearly thirty years, sometimes haveing to use crutches or a walker, sometimes stuck on the floor for days. Two years ago I bought an inversion table to hang upsidedown. Four months later I was basically pain free. rarely ahve any issues anymore, when I do I hang a couple days (basically about one minute per day) and I am fine again. May not work for everyone, but the best money I ever spent.

 

[kweb]

Tried inversion for a few months..... didn't help.

 

Scheduled the surgery. Keeping fingers crossed.

[sk]

Tried inversion for a few months..... didn't help.

 

Scheduled the surgery. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

my fingers are crossed for you. may you have a speedy and awsome recovery!!!!!

[gearup5000]

Just checked all my "posts".

Well kweb, hope you've tried the "hot" yoga.

 

The other benefit with heat, is that your overall blodflow and condition is warmed up, not just major groups, and since everything is more or less ready to go, it facilitates better stretching.

 

I figure you ought to go 2x a week.

When going, water-load the night before. You lose a fair bit of water during sleep, so by counteracting it with water loading before bed, you will be in a better starting position for the next days' hot yoga session.

^^Just something I thought of.

 

Note: I've always wanted one of those boards. Have a link to the model?

 

Edited May 21, 2007 by gearup5000

[kweb]

I had my surgery on Monday (21st). Im felling pretty good now, of course I'm on a high level of Percocet. Once the doctor opened me up and pulled the muscles away, he found my back to be worse off then the X-rays and MRI's showed. From what I understand he ended up doing a 3 level laminectomy and 2 level diskecomy. I'm not 100% sure this is what he did cuz my wife is the one he spoke with after suregry and she was more worried about me rather then listening to his mumbo jumbo. I spent 2 hours in recovery before she was even able to see me. Sounds like I was in pretty bad shape. I will know the details of what he did when I go in for my post-op appointment.

For now the pain in my glute and down my leg is 100% gone. Most of the pain is at the incision site and its just from the sore muscles. Im up walking around as much as possible but need my walker to get in and out of bed or up and down from sitting.

Thanks for everyones words and advise. I'm looking forward to a succesful recovery.

 

[layton]

That's fantastic!

[i_like_sun]

Good luck man! Its summer now, and SUN HELPS increase blood flow and good feelings!